Lawn-mower.



A. HILL.

LAWN MOWER.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE s, 1907.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

7l il:1

A. HILL.

LAWN MOWER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE s, 1907.

975,617. Patented N0v.15, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. HILL.

LAWN MOWER.

r APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1907. 975,617. Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

514mm 1 yto@ L /Z 4 Summa;

,v ED STATES PATE OFFICE.

ALFRED HILL, or DENVER, coLonADo. AssrcNoE '.ro THE xENDnrcx AND HILL MANU- EAcrUnrNe COMPANY, or DENvEn, coLonADo.

v LAwN-NowEn;

Specincation of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ALFRED HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn-Mowers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accomanying drawings, and to the letters and Egures of reference marked thereon, which vform a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for sharpening lawn mowers of the power class or those operated by motors or ter, that both of the cutting devices may be quickly sharpened.

The invention will now be described in detail reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated, an embodiment thereof;

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a power lawn mower equipped with my im rovements. Fig. 2 is a section taken lthrougli the adjustable ratchet mechanism mounted on the operating shaft. This sec-l tion is taken on the line 2-2 Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a face view of the ratchet mechanism, looking into the clutch face of the device or that coperating with an adjustable clutch member mounted on the operating shaft. This may be said to be a view looking in the direction of arrow 3 Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view, showing a portion of the operating shaft and the reversing ratchet mechanism mounted thereon, the parts being shown on a larger scale. Fig. 6 is an end view of the rotary and stationary cutters, showing the same 1n operative relation for sharpenin purposes. Fi 7 is a detail facepv1ew o the clutch an mechanism..` This is a view looking at the clutch face of the device. Fig. 8 is aview of the opposite face of the device. Fig. 9 is a detail view in perspective of the adjustable ring, mounted on the clutch-andpawl-carrying member and adjustable for the purpose of reversingjthe movement of the rotary cutter.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the frame work of a lawn mower upon which is mounted a motor 6 operating a shaft-7 provided w1th a clutch member 8 longitudinally slidable on the shaft by means of a lever 9 havlng a bifurcated extremity 10. This clutch member 8 is centrally grooved to receive the bifurcated extremity of the lever which is fulcrumed at 12. This clutch member 8v, coperates with the clutch face of a'member 13 which is provided'with recesses 14 adapted to'v receive the projections 15 of the mcmber 8. The clutch member 13 is loose on the shaft 7 and its pawl carrying face shown in Fig. 8, protrudes into a ratchet wheel 16 alsoloosely mounted on the shaft, the clutch member and the ratchet wheel being mounted to move independently' of each other.

The ratchet wheel 16 is provided with an interiorly cogged or toothed circumferential flange 17 adapted to be engaged by pawls 18 and 19 loosely mounted in recesses 20 formed in the pawl carrying face of the clutch member. These pawls are of substantially similar construction but the individual members of one pair are designated 18, and the other pair 19-for convenience of description, since while one pair is active, the other pair is idle, one pair being employed to impart movement to the rotary cutter in one direction and the other pair in the opposite direction, through the medium of suitable connecting mechanism.

Surrounding the clutch face of the member 13, and adjustably mounted thereon is a ring 21 provided with two pawl regulating arms 22 located on 'the opposite sides The extremitles of these arms protrude be pawl yond the periphery of the ring and are procarrying member of the reversing ratchet vided with interiorly projecting extremities 1ol i onally located pawls 18 23. The extremities 23 of 5 one of these arms engage pawls 18 and 19 on one side ofthe clutch member, while the extremities 'of the other arm engage the corresponding pawls 18 ,and- 19 onthe o posite side of the clutch member (see Fig. 2g ment of the ring 21, the position of the pawls may be so regulated, that the dia see Fig. 2)" wil serve to enga e the tooth inner face 24 of the ratchet w eel 17 while the two pawls 19, are prevented by the engaging extremities 23 of the arms 22, from engaging the said teeth; or the rin may be so adjusted that the reverse will true, that is to say that the pawls 19 will engage the ratchet of the wheel to operate the same while the pawls 18 will remain idle. When one pair of pawls is in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 17, movement is imparted to the.

said ratchet wheel in one direction, while -when the other pair of pawls englage sald teeth, movement is imparted to t is .wheel in the opposite direction. The ring 21 1s held in either position of adjustment, by a pm 25 attached to one extremity of a leaf spring 26 which is secured at its opposite extremity to the ring 21 by a screw 27. The clutch member 13 is vprovided with two recesses 28 adapted to receive the inner extremit?I of the pin 25, the recesses 28 being suitab y separated. When the pin 25.en gages one of these recesses, the rlng is at-its limit of movement in one direction, while when the pin enga es the other recess the ring is at its limit o movement in the opposite direction.

The ratchet 16 is provided 'on its outer face with a sprocket gear 29 which is connected by means of a chain 30 withV a sprocket wheel 31 fast von a shaft 32, upon which is also mounted a gear 33 meshlng with a gear 34 which operates the rotary cutter 35. Below the rotary cutter 35 is the ordinary stationary cutter 36, which is vertically adjustable as shown at 37, whereby the two cutters 35 and 36 may be brought into such relation that when the rotary cutter is rotated in the opposite direction from its rotation when cutting grass, the two cutters will be sharpened. Y

" The object of my present invention, is to provide means for reversing the action of the rotary cutter, when the motor 6.is adjusted to reverse the movement ofthe shaft 7 or cause it to movein the opposite direction from that required in imparting to the rotary cutter its grass cutting movement.

If it be assumed that the ring 21 is adjusted to throw the pawls 18 and 19 into theposition shown in Fig. 2, and the clutch 8 be thrown into operative relation with the clutch member 13, whereby the said member is caused to rotate in the direction indicated By the adjust-..

maar? by arrow A in Fig. 2, a. corresponding rotary movement -will be imparted to the ratchet wheel 17, since the centrifugal force'due to the rotation of the clutch member, will throw the movable pawls 18 outwardl into'opera.. tive engagement with theratc et wheel in the direction indicated, it be 'assumed that this rotation of the 4ratchet 7 will impart the grass cutting movement to the rotary cutter 35, through the medium of the mechanism heretofore explained. Now if it is desired to sharpen the rotary cutter 35 as well as the stationary :cutter 36, the latter f will be so adjusted'as to brin the knives. of

the two cutters into actua en agement. Then by shifting the ring 21 on t e clutch 13, so that the said ring shall occupy its opposite limit of movement, the two pawls 18 will be held out of operativeengagement by the teeth of the ratchet bythe extremities 23 of the arms '22, while .the will be left to move outwardl free y under the influence of centrifugal orce, whereby they will 'be brought into operativeengagement with the teeth of the ratchet and rotate the'latter in the direction opposite the'.

arrow B in Fig. 2. Of course 1n order to bring out this result, it will be necessary to reverse the action of the motor 6 whereby the rotation of the shaft 7 will be` given the reverse movement from that previously explained. Under these circumstances the cutters 35 and 36 ma be quickly sharpened since by the use oft e motor 6, the rotary cutter may be rapidly rotated.

The cutter plate 36 is so shaped as to contain a quantity of oil and emery designated 38 (see Fig. 6), which facilitates the sharpening operation..

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is v 1.l In a lawn mower, the combination with a rotary cutter, and a stationary cutter and an operating shaft, of a ratchet wheel, loose on the shaft, an o erative connection between the ratchet wlieel and the sald cutter, a clutch member slidable on the operating shaft, and a secondclutchk member loose on the operating shaft and carrylng pawls arranged to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, the said pawls being ca able of adjustment to reverse the action o the rotary cutter, when the rotation of the said shaft is reversed.

2. In a lawn mower, the combination with the rotary cutter, and a stationary cutter and a power shaft, of a ratchet wheel loose on the powershaft, ano erative connection between the ratchet w eel and the awls 19 rotary cutter, a clutch member slidable on pawls arranged to coperate .with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and suitable means for regulating the position of the pawls, whereby when the pawl carrying clutch member is turned in one direction through the medium of the operating shaft and its cowheel and rotary cutter are given the reverse movement, substantially as described. 10 In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

operating clutch member, the ratchet wheel ALFRED HILL, `nd the rotary cutter are correspondingly vWitnesses:

rotated, while when the said parts are DENA NELSON, turned in the opposite direction, theratchet i A. J. OBRIEN. 

